Want to find out a bit more about Adventure Life? Check out some
of these great publications that have written articles about our tours.
Browse through these brief summaries or click on the links below to
read the full articles!
USA Today
Published: March 14, 2023
Search for Wallace's Living Treasures with Adventure Life
At the same time Darwin was drafting his theory of evolution in the Galapagos, Alfred Russel Wallace was also doing the same, albeit in Indonesia. This Adventure Life sailing trip celebrates the bicentennial of Wallace's birth and stops at the places where the lesser-known biologist studied natural selection. Snorkel some of the most biodiverse reefs as you explore the world's largest archipelago. Your host is Dr. George Beccaloni, a renowned expert on Wallace.
The 12-day trip starts at $8,790.
Conde Nast Traveler
Published: March 14, 2023
They'll pull off the impossible and spare you the logistics. Congratulations to our Trip Planners Mary Curry, Kassandra Magruder, Jeff Rottschafer, and Jane Packer for being named among Condé Nast Traveler's Top Travel Specialists for 2023!
Mary Curry: Antarctica, Galápagos Islands, Arctic Expert
Kassandra Magruder: South Africa, Botswana, Tanzania Expert
Jeff Rottschafer: Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia Expert
Jane Packer: Peru, Argentina, Chile Expert
Published: March 9, 2023
Adventure Life’s Explore Aysen and Patagonia National Park
The Aysen region of Chile is one of the most remote areas of South America; on this seven-day expedition, travelers can get a deep dive into Patagonia National Park’s stunning natural scenery. Itinerary highlights include kayaking to the Marble Caves of Lake General Carrera, trekking on the ice of the imposing Exploradores Glacier, rafting the rapids of the Baker River, and hiking deep into protected land to spot wildlife and take in expansive views. Throughout the trip, travelers will stay at the
Mallin Colorado Ecolodge, which features superlative views of Lake General Carrera and rustic cabin accommodations... There are multiple departures still available through April and again in October through December.
Published: March 9, 2023
When is the most popular time to visit Costa Rica?
The experts recommend making reservations several months in advance to avoid disappointment, particularly if you’re planning to travel to Costa Rica in the peak seasons. Villalobos says that rental cars should be reserved two to three months before your trip, and
Jess Heuermann, a senior trip planner at Adventure Life who specializes in Costa Rica, notes that hotels in popular regions like Arenal, Monteverde and Manuel Antonio tend to sell out three to five months in advance of peak travel times.
Published: December 27, 2022
How has your company changed over the last 15 years?
We certainly have changed over that time – even in the last five years it seems! We started out as a Latin America-based group tour operator, and after the 2008 recession slowly shifted focus to custom-trip planning and small-ship cruises. We still offer some group tours in select areas where it makes sense to do so, but our main focus now is on travelers who want a unique, private, or specialized trip designed just for them. This, of course, includes small ship cruises as well that can offer a true expedition or exploratory experience. We’ve built such an extensive network of trusted partners around the world that we can design trips in the majority of countries that are open for tourism, even if they’re not listed on our website.
Published: December 5, 2022
While Machu Picchu is well-equipped to welcome travelers of all ages via fleets of buses and trains, Choquequirao remains incredibly remote. It is accessible only to the most adventurous travelers via a strenuous 38-mile, four-day hike from the sleepy mountain town of San Pedro de Cachora.
Jane Packer, a trip planner for Adventure Life, described the hike as “a four on a scale of five for difficulty,” though the journey was her first true multi-day trekking experience. Today, she organizes guided excursions to Choquequirao, Machu Picchu, and some of Peru's other impressive destinations.
While independent hikers can make the journey to Choquequirao, Packer recommends traveling with an experienced guide. “If you go with an organized tour like Adventure Life offers, you'll have a guide, and necessary camping gear will be provided. Meals will also be provided, so you won't have to worry about shopping or cooking.” It's a lot to consider on top of the physical demands of the trek.
Published: November 10, 2022
Discover Aysen
Discover Aysen from Adventure Life is a passport to discover the remote Aysen region of Chile. This trip includes kayaking the Marble Caves, trekking on the Exploradores Glacier, hiking through San Rafael National Park, and rafting the Baker River. There are optional horseback riding and fly fishing available. Accommodations are at the Mallin Colorado Ecolodge, and the six-day trip is $2,990.
Published: October 9, 2022
Shoulder seasons are delightful times to explore the world. And brisk weather, brightly colored foliage, and crowd-free destinations make fall the perfect time to travel. Here are seven vacation ideas for the weeks ahead, ranging from the mountains of Montana and Nepal to the Galapagos Islands.
Trek with Sherpas: New from Adventure Life this fall is the
Everest Trekking with Legendary Sherpas tour in Nepal. Climb and descend high-altitude trails, cross suspension bridges over turbulent rivers, pass through rhododendron and pine forests, watch for wildlife like the rare musk deer and colorful pheasants, take in views of peaks like Mount Everest and Lhotse, and meet the Sherpa people and stay in their villages along the way.
National Geographic
Published: August 14, 2022
“To me, adventure cruising is at the core of travel itself,” says Mary Curry, small ships specialist at tour operator Adventure Life.
“At its core, travel is about discovery, whether that’s of people and cultures, wildlife or places. Adventure travel allows you to feel like an explorer — you go out there and find out something in a way that you can’t from a luxury hotel or a large ship, where you’re more isolated from what you’re trying to discover. It goes back to the original reasons for why people travel.”
Published: July 14, 2022
Antarctic Expedition: Embrace the spirit of polar exploration on an expedition to Antarctica with Adventure Life. Watch for seabirds and the first icebergs as you cross the often formidable Drake Passage to reach the South Shetland Islands and the Antarctic Peninsula. Once there, you’ll experience the wonder of the white continent as you cruise along spectacular ice cliffs looking for seals and whales, and go ashore to visit penguin rookeries and historic huts.
Published: June 25, 2022
"For travelers who want a truly unique wildlife experience, a cruise can be the best option. On a 16-day trip aboard
Ponant's Le Commandant Charcot, you'll venture to the Southern Ocean and view emperor penguins. Even more impressive is a
22-day trip to the Northwest Passage on the
National Geographic Resolution to see a pod of beluga whales or, if you are particularly fortunate, even a group of narwhals. —
Mary Curry, Adventure Life
Published: May 23, 2022
Your transport for this food and wine-themed
cruise along the Columbia River is the Wilderness Legacy, a beautiful vessel designed to resemble a Victorian steamer. During the cruise, which starts and finishes in Portland, you’ll visit some of Oregon’s most important historical sites, but it’s the food and wine-themed stops that really set it apart. In the Hood River Valley, you can sign up for cycle rides between local vineyards, and in the Washington city of Walla Walla, you’ll visit a local chocolatier, olive oil producer and brewery.
The Washington Post
Published: May 5, 2022
Forget infinity pools, couples’ massages and karaoke lounges; the newest luxury ships are all about scientific discovery. Rather than stopping at the usual crowded European and Caribbean ports, expedition ships are taking guests — along with scientists, historians and naturalists — to places rarely visited by tourists. Subtract the discomforts traditionally associated with research vessels, and expedition ships are attracting travelers who may not have considered cruising in the past... "You won’t find mini-golf courses, surf pools, slides, concerts, casinos, branded restaurants or Broadway-style entertainment," said Monika Sundem, chief executive of Adventure Life, a travel company in Missoula, Mont. Instead, in addition to the submarines and other tiny boats such as kayaks designed for further exploration, many of the expedition ships have helicopters, larger observation decks and educators.
Published: April 25, 2022
"As travel resurges, tourists will return to this area, but for now, it feels as remote as it did 20 years ago," says Monika Sundem, CEO of Adventure Life in Montana. "The Galapagos was one of the first regions to return to operations since the start of the pandemic, and procedures are dialed in. Book a small-ship cruise for island landings to see boobies and finches, snorkeling excursions with sea lions, Galapagos sharks, and more."
Published: April 20, 2022
While dozens of countries have reopened for tourism, Monika Sundem, CEO of Montana-based travel-planning company Adventure Life, advises against destination-hopping. Testing requirements and policies from country to country (and region to region) are constantly in flux. Some travel suppliers mandate extra layers of testing to make guests feel safe. But any number of snafus—labs might have odd hours or run out of tests or results might be delayed—can upend your vacation. “If you can find one eco-resort that does day tours—beach adventures, water exploring, ruins—I really think that’s the best way to go,” Ms. Sundem said. “It will be much more relaxing because you don’t have to be worried about, ‘What if I don’t get the test?’” Among her recommendations: Hamanasi Resort in Belize; Manta Resort on Pemba Island in Tanzania; and Finch Bay Hotel in the Galápagos Islands.
Published: July 9, 2021
The Galapagos National Park, Galapagos Islands
This park is absolutely beyond compare and is a must for National Park enthusiasts. As one of the most protected national parks in the world, the Galapagos Islands are full of incredible wildlife that are not afraid of humans and will come in closer contact with you than is possible in most other natural places in the world. You can experience a variety of landscapes in a small space, from lush highlands full of tortoises, to moon-like volcanic rock, covered in piles of iguanas. And the marine life is sure to excite even the most well-traveled guests when they have the opportunity to snorkel with penguins, sharks and playful sea lions, all while blue footed boobies dive for food in the distance. —
Erin Correia, Adventure Life
New York Times
Published: January 1, 2020
As the number of travelers cruising Antarctica swells, polar expedition companies are launching sustainable vessels designed for these bucket-list trips. According to the
International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators, approximately 56,000 tourists visited Antarctica in the 2018-2019 season, a 53 percent increase from the 2014-2015 season. “Climate change is a chief reason for the increased interest in visiting Antarctica,” said Mary Curry, a small ship cruise specialist and travel planner at
Adventure Life. “We truly don’t know if the region will ever be as magnificent as it is now.”“Antarctica itineraries often sell out one or two years in advance, so travelers should be prepared to book early,” she advised.
Published: December 2, 2019
Before joining the team at Adventure Life in 2011, Erin Correia spent six years traveling the world and teaching theater to children in places like South Korea and Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. Today, she's the company's go-to person for all things Galápagos. She personally sends between 300 and 400 travelers to the islands a year. Her trips range from island-hopping cruises to land-based expeditions and can include both active pursuits, like hiking and kayaking, and leisurely explorations.
Published: December 2, 2019
With fluency in Spanish and K’iche’, a Mayan dialect spoken in Guatemala, Kassandra Magruder can plan a variety of blood-pumping experiences in Central America and beyond. The adventure travel advisor arranges trips trekking in the Andres, mountain biking on safari in Zimbabwe, and kayaking in Antarctica. She planned some 400 adventures last year, all while jetting off to Peru to spend two weeks hiking in the Cordillera Huayhuash mountains, plus stints Botswana, Alaska, and South Africa.
Published: December 2, 2019
Iceland and Croatia are booming in terms of the small-ship adventure cruises that Mary Curry specializes in. She partners with expedition cruise lines like Quark, Lindblad, and Ponant, to help travelers to enjoy luxurious accommodations (private balconies, exclusive dining options, exclusive lounges) in some of the world's most rugged and remote environments. Her knowledge of the industry and stellar negotiating skills allow her to secure the best prices possible.
Published: November 30, 2019
Take a Cruise to Antarctica
WHERE: Antarctica
Earn the ultimate honeymoon bragging rights by spending the first nights of your marriage traveling to the end of the earth on board a
luxury cruise to Antarctica. Bare-bones expedition ships still make the trip but treat yourselves to a little luxury by booking a private stateroom through
Adventure Life, a travel company that specializes in responsible travel with authentic experiences. Their trips range from 12-day Antarctic Peninsula cruises with kayaking and camping options for shore excursions or 10-day Polar Circle Air Cruise that avoids the dreaded Drake Passage (a.k.a. the “Drake Shake”) portion of the cruise.
Published: July 25, 2019
With many of the world’s top travel destinations threatened by climate change and neglect, “last-chance tourism” is on the rise. Below are 11 destinations that will dramatically change in the next decade. It’s not just the Arctic. Some of these destinations will really surprise you.
Pack a suitcase, grab a
camera, and head to one of these amazing destinations before they disappear.
Published: April 24, 2019
As I’m drifting down the tar-black waters of the River Negro in a tiny canoe, in the dead of night, the only thing I can see is the outline of the towering trees all around me. I’m totally engulfed by rainforest.
The treetops are illuminated by a carpet of stars so bright, the sky appears almost CGI-designed. The only noises I can hear is the defiant rattling of the cicadia beetles in the reeds, and the ominous growl of howler monkeys in the distance. It’s eerie, isolated – and totally ethereal.
Published: March 25, 2019
It used to be that if you wanted to see blue-footed boobies and giant colonies of sea lions sunning in the Galapagos Islands, you had to travel a bit as Charles Darwin did, on a research-style vessel whose creature comforts came second to up-close nature encounters. That’s changed.
